Poster for Wes Anderson's 'Moonrise Kingdom' Demands Attention

Atmospheric. Quiet. Doesn't try even a bit.

A simple trailer, one unassuming poster, and this movie is at the top of my list.

Not many movies (read: directors) create this kind of stir this easily. The 'auteur effect'... Ridley Scott/Prometheus certainly has it. We clamor over stills, speculate about what imagery in trailers indicates regarding plot/character, soak up fake TEDtalks. We can't wait.

The campaign for 'Alien' had everyone talking. People were clawing to see that movie. The image, both in TV commercials and on posters, of the cracked egg and that tag "In space, no one can hear you scream" -- people loved that. 'I love when the egg cracks. That's so scary! What's going to come out of there?' and 'Remember. In space, no one can hear you scream. It's true! There's no air, and you need air for sound to travel so if you scream in space no one will be able to hear you. Scream as loud as you want -- nobody will hear'. We'd stop and think about the implications, looking at the floor or staring into space. We didn't have a clue what the movie was about, but posters and commercials made us love it. I saw 'Alien' opening weekend. Changed my life. Part of the reason I'm typing these words now, decades later.

'Star Wars' comes to mind, too. "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." Come on -- that rocks. Another reason I like movies so much. Another reason I'm sitting at the keyboard now.

It's the inverse of the 'John Carter' bluster which, after gobs of trailers, a dozen generic posters, loads of clips and featurettes, and over a hundred stills, has created little more than confusion and consternation, and managed to dilute anticipation. Cost a fortune, too. Too bad. (I'll stop writing about that now).

'The Hunger Games' has a pretty good campaign. People want to see that. The anticipation, though, can be attributed to the fact the novel is a bestseller not the promo materials, which are plain to say the least.

It's hard to think of other campaigns that had the kind of effortless grace as 'Moonrise Kingdom'. It's easy to predict when the next one will be, though -- whenever Wes Anderson releases his next movie.

Beautiful poster. Lovely.

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